Dangerous heat wave is building, will bring oppressive temperatures to much of the United States
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Visitors use fans as as they wait to enter the Washington Monument, July 1, 2026, in Washington. /Tom Brenner, File)
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Vendors sell Gatorade and water bottles near the Washington Monument during a heat wave, July 3, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
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A police officer holds ice to their neck to try and stay cool following the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 4, 2026. /Anna Connors, File)
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Visitors use fans as as they wait to enter the Washington Monument, July 1, 2026, in Washington. /Tom Brenner, File)
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Visitors use fans as as they wait to enter the Washington Monument, July 1, 2026, in Washington. /Tom Brenner, File)
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Vendors sell Gatorade and water bottles near the Washington Monument during a heat wave, July 3, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
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Vendors sell Gatorade and water bottles near the Washington Monument during a heat wave, July 3, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
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A police officer holds ice to their neck to try and stay cool following the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 4, 2026. /Anna Connors, File)
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A police officer holds ice to their neck to try and stay cool following the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 4, 2026. /Anna Connors, File)
By
PATRICK WHITTLE and TAMMY WEBBER
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
A widespread and dangerous heat wave is building across the U.S., with triple-digit highs expected in the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend before spreading eastward under a dome of high pressure that meteorologists say could trap oppressive temperatures for a week or more
Forecasters are advising people to stay hydrated and find places to cool off, warning of temperatures 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal in many areas, including at night — especially bad for people’s health because their bodies won’t have a chance to recover. The heat dome is expected to affect as much as two-thirds of the continental United States
“The heat doesn’t necessarily stop when it’s dark out,” said Josh Adam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota, where temperatures will surpass 100 F (37 C) until Tuesday. That is a dramatic spike for a state where summer temperatures are typically in the 80s, he said
Temperature records will be broken
The National Weather Service predicts that more than 90 U.S. local temperature records will be tied or broken through Wednesday — with two-thirds of those being overnight heat records. Temperatures won’t drop below 80 F (27 C) at night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa, Florida; Galveston, Texas; and Charleston, South Carolina, according to the forecast
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The current heat dome — formed when high pressure traps hot air while blocking cooling winds and rain — is one of the strongest to affect the Dakotas in 25 years, said Chad Merrill, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather
Forecasters expect record triple-digit highs this weekend in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota
Nevada, a state accustomed to hot weather, is even hotter than normal, said Andrew Gorelow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. The temperature in Las Vegas is expected to hit 111 F (48 C) on Saturday, Gorelow said
Hydrating and finding cool spaces is critical, experts said
They also warn the heat could spike fire risk to some parts of the country that already are dry, including the Rockies, where Merrill said dry thunderstorms could develop
Climate change is supercharging heat
Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is causing more intense and longer-lasting heat waves that cover larger areas, scientists say
This year’s temperatures also are expected to be affected by El Nino, a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns and spikes temperatures across the globe
The current El Nino — which formed last month and is too young to have affected this heat wave much — is expected to rank as among the most intense since the weather service began tracking them in 1950, experts said
It has an 81% chance of becoming “very strong” — the top category — by fall, the the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday
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PATRICK WHITTLE
